Barring any last minute change, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu will dump Nigeria’s major opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Daily Sun gathered that Ekweremadu has been involved in high-level negotiations with the top echelon of the APC, “because he was aggrieved about the way he has been treated since Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki defected to the PDP.
“What is, however, unclear is the position the APC will give him upon defection.
A source said Ekweremadu’s defection “is just in a matter of days.”
This will be another major defection after Saraki and former minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, defected from the APC and PDP, respectively.
It was also gathered that “Ekweremadu was not happy with the way he was used and dumped by the PDP.”
A chieftain of the APC from the South East had earlier said: “Look at the way they treated Ekweremadu. When all of them left, Ekweremadu remained to fight for the survival of this party. How many of them would have resisted the temptation not to defect in the face of the intimidation, harassment, prosecution and persecution meted out on him.
“As a person, he had nothing to lose if he had defected then. In fact, he had everything to gain. He probably would have been the senate president because he was offered the slot. Then, when you people now return, you feel that people who had helped this party to survive, did not matter, again, simply because you got a presidential ticket. Also, even Saraki knows that if the DSP had not been loyal, they would have gotten at him (Saraki) long ago.
“All the trials Ekweremadu was put through were all because of Saraki. But, when it was the turn of Saraki to be there for him, he failed him and as we speak, how many days is this after the primary. Atiku is yet to call DSP. You don’t treat a man who has been taking bullets on you people’s behalf like that. Well, I wish them and PDP well, but, they should know that action begets reaction and they will pay the price for this mistreatment of people, who laboured for the party during the toughest time. And, if Ekweremadu leaves, we will hold these people responsible,” he stated.
